The Snake River Project Research Update | MPG Ranch

The Snake River Project Research Update

June 11, 2020

William Blake discusses on-going efforts to establish the Idaho network of Motus stations on the Snake River Plain.

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We are working toward a large-scale expansion of the Motus network on Idaho’s Snake River Plain.

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Detection data from birds tagged at MPG Ranch suggest that many individuals migrate south through the Bitterroot Valley toward the Snake River Plain in Idaho.

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On October 10, 2019, we installed the first Motus station in Idaho at the World Center for Birds of Prey Visitor Center.

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We proposed to install up to 15 Motus stations in 2020 to cover approximately half of the Snake River Corridor.

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In March, we teamed up with IBO to present the Snake River Motus Project at the annual conference for The Idaho Wildlife Society in Moscow, Idaho

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Professor Julie Heath is hoping to use our current Motus station at The World Center for Birds of Prey Visitor Center to detect and measure dispersal rates of American Kestrels from nest boxes in the area.

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We hope to install several stations along the Snake River Plain in Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) managed by Idaho Fish and Game .

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Two other potential WMAs for hosting Motus stations include Billingsley Creek WMA and Niagara Springs WMA

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We are planning to install Motus stations at three National Wildlife Refuges

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The manager at Camas National Wildlife Refuge is allowing us to use a 60-foot tower at their headquarters to affix Motus antennas above the surrounding vegetation.

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MPG Ranch has become a vital player in Motus’s expansion across the West

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Acknowledgements

Previous Research Update

Spring 2020 Bitterroot Valley Winter Eagle Project Update

Next Research Update

Summer 2020 Hummingbird project Update